Octavia St. Laurent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Octavia St. Laurent
Born	(1964-03-16)March 16, 1964 Brooklyn, New York, US
Died	May 17, 2009(2009-05-17) (aged 45) Syracuse, New York, US
Other names	Heavenly Angel Octavia Saint Laurent Manolo Blahnik Octavia Saint Laurent Mizrahi
Years active	1982–2009
Parent(s)	Linda Greaves Bey and Billy Pemberton
Relatives	Joye Greaves Bey (Sister) Jonathan Pemberton Bey (Brother) Jalal Khweiss (Brother)

Octavia St. Laurent Mizrahi (born March 16, 1964 – died May 17, 2009) was an American model. She was also an educator who taught people about an important health condition. Octavia was well-known in New York City's Black and Latino ballroom community. She became famous after appearing in the 1990 documentary film Paris Is Burning.

Octavia's Career

Octavia St. Laurent started participating in the New York ballroom scene in 1982. In the ballroom world, "walking" means competing in different categories. Her favorite category was "Face," where people are judged on their beauty and confidence. She often walked to the song "Swept Away" by Diana Ross.

Octavia was a main person in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. This film showed the exciting world of ballroom culture. She also had a small part in the movie The Saint of Fort Washington (1993).

In 2006, Octavia appeared in another film called How Do I Look. This movie was made by Wolfgang Busch and was sometimes called a "sequel" to Paris Is Burning.

About Octavia's Life

Octavia St. Laurent was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 16, 1964. Octavia had a unique view of her own gender identity. She was proud of who she was and how she presented herself. She once said, "This is me, you understand? No, I am not a woman. No, I am not a man. I am Octavia."

Octavia shared that her parents were very supportive of her. She said, "I had wonderful parents that supported me. ... They were used to that since I was a child." Octavia sometimes faced challenges because of the clothes she chose to wear in public.

Octavia also helped teach people about an important health condition. She worked to spread awareness and understanding.

Octavia St. Laurent was good friends with other famous ballroom figures, Willi Ninja and Paris Dupree.

In 2008, Octavia was diagnosed with cancer. She moved in with her sister to get treatment. She also started a one-woman show at a gay bar in Syracuse, New York. Octavia passed away on May 17, 2009, at the age of 45, after battling cancer. She is buried in a cemetery in Queens, New York.

Octavia's Impact

Octavia St. Laurent's appearance in Paris Is Burning was mentioned in a book by Judith Butler called Bodies That Matter.

Octavia was also quoted in the TV series Pose (2019), in season 2, episode 4. Her powerful words were: "Gays have rights, lesbians have rights, men have rights, women have rights, even animals have rights. How many of us have to die before the community recognizes that we are not expendable?"

Famous Quotes

Here are some famous quotes from Octavia St. Laurent:

• "This is me, you understand? No, I am not a woman. No, I am not a man. I am Octavia."
• "Life is like a boomerang. When you throw it, it eventually comes back to you."
• "If money wasn't important in the world to survive, I guess I wouldn't want anything but what I have now. But since money does, I hope that the way I look puts money in my pocket."
• "Live life. Live life and do not take anything for granted. Because what you have today can instantly be gone tomorrow. And don't settle for nothing but... ...'and donʼt settle for nothing but the best.'"
• "Gays have rights, lesbians have rights, men have rights, women have rights, even animals have rights. How many of us have to die before the community recognizes that we are not expendable?"

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Octavia St. Laurent para niños